In communication networking applications, a cassette, which is a compact, unitary apparatus for routing one or more cables to one or more optical or electronic devices enclosed within the cassette, may be provided. For example, the cassette may be in the form of a splice tray containing splice connections of a plurality of optical fibers to optical devices. The cassette serves to facilitate coupling of the device with one or more cables extending from the cassette to an external component, as well as protect the device from potential damage such as mechanical shock or contaminants.
As a plurality of devices is often required in a single networking application, a plurality of cassettes may be provided to enclose the devices, and a cassette holding assembly may be provided to store the cassettes in an organized manner. The cassette holding assembly may orient the cassettes in an aligned stack, where cables are coupled to or extend from one side or opposing sides of the cassettes.
In some cassette installation configurations, the cassette holding assembly may have cables extending from only a single side and be stored within a housing, such that, in a stored state of the holding assembly, the cables extend from a single side of the housing that is other than the front or back side of the housing. In one such cassette installation configuration, the cassettes may be accessed by pulling the cassette holding assembly away from a back side of a housing towards a front side of the housing, in a direction generally parallel to the left and right sides of the housing. In this configuration, additional lengths of the cables connected to or extending from the individual cassettes are provided, based on the expected distance the cassettes will be positioned away from the back side of the housing when the cassette holding assembly is in a retracted state. Such additional lengths of cables are provided to avoid the cables connected to or extending from the individual cassettes from being subject to tension or stress when the cassette holding assembly is moved between a retracted state and a stored state. The additional lengths, however, may become tangled, thereby making it difficult to access individual cassettes and the cables extending therefrom when the cassette holding assembly is in the retracted state.
In another cassette installation configuration, the cassettes of the cassette holding assembly may be accessed by rotation of the holding assembly to the left or right side of the housing. In such a configuration, the housing typically has an increased dimension extending longitudinally between the left and right sides that provides additional space between the holding assembly and the left or right side when the holding assembly is in the stored state. This additional space permits rotation of the holding assembly from a stored state to a retracted state and vice versa. The additional space of the housing, however, typically is not used when the cassette holding assembly is in a stored state. The provision of such additional space in the housing is undesirable, because the space available for the housing in a networking installation is usually very limited.
As such, there exists a need for an improved apparatus and system for accessing cassettes of cassette holding assemblies stored in a housing in a networking installation.